The newly-launched, Malawi Cotton Development Strategy (MCDS) has been hailed by stakeholders, as an effort to help farmers reap the most and improve the sector’s input to the economy.

Prior to the new strategy, farmers outlined that unless government protect them, they will not grow cotton. Another grievance that the farmers presented, was of abundant fake cotton seeds on the market, which they want eliminated once and for all. On the other hand, findings by the African Institute of Corporate Citizenship (AICC) show that the 2018/19 cotton season made K10.7bn, made out of input from 80, 000 farmers grew cotton this year, down from 300,000 in 2012/13.

The struggling cotton industry has seen a ray of hope, as the Implementation of this strategy is expected to revitalise the cotton sub-sector. The strategy will be implemented from 2019/2020 to 2024/2025 growing seasons.

The new strategy is premised on the Cotton Act (2013), which established the Cotton Council of Malawi (CCM). It is also aligned with provisions of the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy. “It is envisaged that the cotton sub-sector, guided by this strategy, has the potential to significantly contribute to agricultural transformation in Malawi,” said Minister of Agriculture, Kondwani Nankhumwa added.